Though the set-up was prior to my having 512KB removed from my memory when I turned 50 (which wasn't a recent event), my recollection is that the Works in Progress (WIP) topic was specifically created to block access to any non-members, for precisely this reason.

Without doubt, Google picks up the threads on the Forum that are open to anyone, members or not.

But do any of you have any experience in seeing Google pick up posts from the Works in Progress (WIP) topic? If so, then that would be useful information for Cynthia, I assume.

If not, then there's one solution -- namely, when seeking input on an ongoing commission, use the WIP topic. Unless there's a glitch in the software, access to that topic should be blocked unless a user has signed onto the Forum with a user name and password.

Theoretically.

Google spiders are very frequent "guests" on this site (there almost every time I look), as they are on every other site throughout the world. That's why you get 3,992,083 hits in .002 seconds for even a complicated natural language query on an esoteric topic.

It's actually a word to the wise. Artists who have, say, unflattering personal opinions about other artists and who publish those opinions on Internet forums (it has even happened here! -- though, thankfully, not recently) effectively publish them to the world, including the authoring artist's clients.

Yes, it's a little tricky to discover. If you sign on before you start browsing, the WIP topic seems open, as with any other topic. If you browse without signing on with your user name and password, you won't have access to the WIP topic.

I am neanderthal in my computer savvy (and I intend for it always to be so), but I've assumed that that "block" kept outsiders as well from that topic. I run into "you don't have permission to access this page or you are not signed in" blocks all the time in Google results, and I have always assumed that this WIP topic worked the same way.

I'm not sure it was clear that this was the intended use and value of that topic.

There is a sectional password feature - supposedly - but when I set the password and then go to log in, it does not work - just doesn't let me in. I think this is what I ran up against before when I tried to install this featured and just haven't had a chance to sort out the problem with the tech people at vBulletin. I'll look into it after the Dallas show.

There's a lot to be said about search engine optimization, and I'm no expert, but I can tell you that it's very important to make ample use of keywords. In other words, think of what search phrases someone might use if they were looking for an artist such as yourself. Make ample use of those words, without letting it get too awkward. For instance, on the description of an image, calling it

"Greg 18"x24""

is less likely to get hits than

"Portrait of Greg. Oil on Canvas by Jeff Fuchs 18"x24".

The second one contains words you'd use in google when looking for artists. Do this for each image.

Google also looks at the title bar, and assumes that it is a good description of the subject matter on the page. Many Titles, such as Ilaria's, just say "Home". That tells Google nothing about what the page is about, and loses it within a billion other pages named "home". To change the title, look at the page's html code for a tag that says <title>Home</title>. Remove the "Home" text and replace it with "ILARIA ROSSELLI DEL TURCO: Portrait Artist" (notice that the page you're reading says "Portrait Artist Forum" in the title bar, as it does throughout the website).

Use your name often. Look at major sites like Amazon.com. Try to find a page on their site that doesn't say "Amazon.com" on it. They know what they're doing.

Look at your signature here on SOG and other forums. I hate to pick on Ilaria, but it's her thread. Instead of a signature that says www .ilardt. com, try using ILARIA ROSSELLI DEL TURCO. This helps Google associate the link to the context of your name. This has been used for propaganda purposes by poltical activists. Before the last election, one side had their followers post a link on their websites across the country that said "colossal failure" (or something like that). The link led to their opponent's website. Then, when anybody googled the words colossal failure, they got his website, even though his site does not contain those words.

There's a lot more to it, like getting other sites to link to you. Be sure to ask other artists to link to you. Ask your galleries, your friends, anybody with a website. Try to get them to use your name as the link text, not your domain name. The more links you have, the more important Google thinks you are (actually, the quality of the links comes into play. If CNN links to you, it carries more weight than joe blow's site.)

I agree that it could be awkward to have a client happen upon entries on this forum when looking doing a google search. I know and accept that if someone visits the forum they will see my comments. However I would prefer if they weren't "google available". Last year I had some complaints about a difficult client, and I would be embarrassed if she happened upon them by searching my name.

A good way to prevent google and other search engines from selecting a page is to put the following meta tag in the header.

It doesn't hurt to remind ourselves that everything on the web is public. You wouldn't believe conversations I have located on other Foums or even non-art Forums.

I would never post a client's image in any public place without permission, and I don't think it's a good practice for amyone . It's no different ffrom publishing an image in a magazine, except that it can be deleted - but ereasing the url doesnt erase if from a Google cite.

Certainly a child's image should never be posted with first and last names, or any other identifying words.